it is also the election system and the way we run our primaries. we have a more ideological- purified house of representatives than we have had in a very long time. that is because some people would argue redistricting, as well, which in the past election both parties to it. in the states where democrats are not in control they redraw the districts to make the majority democrats. the republican side as well. this is the first time republicans have controlled this many statehouses since 1926. they really shored up -- the goal was to not pick up extra seats, but to shore up their base. you also have the rising up of the tea party, which is new. that was a response to george bush and some of the policies that his base felt took the united states into the fiscal abyss with the medicare part b and the war and what not. so you have this very activated based on spending issues, which has been successful in electing hard-liners who read the polls and see the compromise is not the important thing. the important thing is standing on principle. if you dive in